Loving and Leaving
by Indigo-Night-Wisp
Summary: When Kyle goes AWOL, Laura is left to decide exactly what she's going to do to him when he returns. If he returns.


**Disclaimer: Why must you constantly remind me that I don't own it? Lord. It's depressing.**

**A/N: I once read this really awesome fic by Valkriyen called "Who Knew?" In it, I was introduced to the character Kyle Gibney. His codename is WildChild, and he, to put it mildly, is Laura's soulmate. I don't **_**care**_** if he wasn't in Evolution. She went and found him after it ended or something. Whatever. **

_**Ah, good ol' Koyle. Tha man's got it bad for his little Sheila ain' he?**_

_**Ash, shut up. We're tryin' t' tell de story 'ere.**_

_**Gah! indy, luv, ya ain't s'posed ta tell people ta shut up. It ain't noice.**_

_**Indy wasn't tellin' any **_**people**_** t' shut it. Jus' you.**_

_**Tha 'urts, luv, really it does.**_

_**Y' wan' 'urt? Indy'll give y' 'urt!**_

_**Now, Sheila, don' take it loike tha. Oi didn' mean ta… Indy? Indy! EHH, Whoy ya always gotta do it with chairs?**_

**And it never ends… **

**On with the one-shot!**

Loving and Leaving

Days. He'd been gone for days. Weeks. Three actually. Closer to four if you wanted to be exact.

Okay, he'd been gone a month and they hadn't heard from him once. He hadn't called, he hadn't written, and worst of all, he hadn't come back.

Laura scowled out of the window. It was raining, so nobody was outside. (A fact that made no sense to Laura, who had been outside in every kind of weather imaginable. What harm was a little rain going to do?) It was one of the rules. No going outside in inclement weather without express permission from one of the instructors. So Laura was stuck inside.

With her thoughts. About _him_.

She scowled again.

When she'd first realized that this emotion that she felt for him, this worry about his well-being, this wanting to be near him and to have him close was love, she'd sat still for exactly two minutes before going and beating the crap out of him. She didn't tell him why, and he didn't ask. Laura did not _need_ a reason to kick his butt; and she wouldn't have given one if she did.

The next day, he told her he loved her. Two hours later he was gone.

She'd been furious at first. For a whole week, everybody avoided her like the plague. Laura realized that only two people at the mansion besides herself had a hyperactive healing rate, rendering them fair game for her, but, in her current state, no one really wanted to bet on her remembering that when the claws came out.

Besides, of those two, one was the cause of her anger in the first place, and the other was… well, Logan was her "dad" not to mention her equal in strength and tactics; attacking him would likely just get her sweaty, not satisfied.

She'd been angry. Furious, stalking around the mansion growling under her breath. Sometimes wordless, sometimes I-will-kill-him-when-he-gets-back-and-if-he-doesn't-come-back-I-will-go-out-and-track-him-down-and-then-kill-him.

By the second week, her fury had faded to a slow smoldering anger. Halfway through the third, she'd just been mad. Now, on the fourth week of his absence, Laura was officially worried. She wasn't worried about him exactly, he could take care of himself. But she was starting to worry that he wouldn't come back. She understood his need to roam, Logan was the same way. Yeah, he was an adult, but four weeks? And right after telling her he loved her? No, that was just ridiculous.

* * *

She was prowling, she knew. She couldn't help it. Creeping through the halls of the Institute gave her a sense of satisfaction. If she couldn't control her own life, at least she could make sure that everyone else's was in order.

_Huh. Where is everybody? _She wondered as she walked through the girl's wing. The guy's quarters were empty too.

_What is going on?_ She thought frustratedly. She could tell they hadn't left, no way would the entire mansion be empty and her left behind.

She looked out of the window. The sun was shining. _Weird. Storm must've-_ she caught a scent. Not so unusual for her, she'd caught many scents today. But this one, wafting in from outside on a slight breeze, this one was different. She didn't need to sift through her memories to figure out who it was she was smelling. She'd know that scent anywhere.

With a low growl, Laura took off for the front door.

* * *

Kyle was waiting with a mixture of fear and anticipation at seeing Laura. He was standing front and center of a crowd of mutants. The entire mansion had turned out to watch Laura thrash him, something he knew he deserved, but had hoped wouldn't be so public.

So sure was he that Kyle would get what was coming to him, that Logan hadn't even threatened him. He was standing slightly behind the young man with a smug grin on his face and his arms crossed over his chest. (Probably to cut off any escape, not that Kyle would try.)

The feral was starting to fidget. Did she know he was here? Surely she must know. Everyone else did and nothing, but _nothing _got past Laura in her own home.

Kyle began to feel slightly sick to his stomach. What if- what if she didn't care for him like he did for her? He had literally run away after his confession, not waiting to hear her response. What if her absence was a dismissal, what if she didn't want to see him? What-

The front door flew open and a flash of brown and black streaked toward Kyle. A feral snarl ripped through the air as she caught him at chest-height and he went head-over-heels. In a second, she was up and dragging him over to the wall. She slammed his back against the brick with a sharp crack that was probably one of his ribs breaking.

He actually feared for his life as she laid an arm across his chest and leaned in…

But she was kissing him, hard and hungry. He heard shocked gasps from the general direction of the crowd and a surprisingly satisfied grunt from Logan.

Laura pulled back and looked up into his blue eyes with her brown pools. Kyle opened his mouth, then shut it. He blinked and tried again.

"I-uh-what?"

She looked amused by his stuttering.

"Just spit it out," she advised, her eyes twinkling.

He took a deep breath. "Um, don't take this the wrong way, but uh, why aren't you, you know- um killing me?"

She looked genuinely confused. "Why would I be killing you?"

"Um, 'cause I kinda left and stayed gone for four weeks and I didn't call or send you a postcard or anything. Why aren't you mad?"

She looked up at him speculatively. "Four weeks is an awful long time to be mad. I _was_ mad, for awhile, but no I'm just glad you're back. And I am trying to enjoy your return, but you interrupted me." She slid a hand behind his head and tugged his face back to hers again. This time he kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her waist.

When he pulled back he said, "I love you."

Suddenly she was shy, and he worried that maybe he shouldn't have said it like that, so soon. Hurriedly, he tried to fix it, tripping over his words.

"Um, it's- I understand-um-"

She placed a finger on his lips, cutting off his attempts.

"Shh. Okay, um. I have a confession to make."

Now he looked confused. "Ooookaay."

She looked down. "Um, yeah, well remember that time I just kinda attacked you?"

He smiled. "Which time?"

She flushed. "Yeah, um I kinda broke a few bones and sliced you a couple times. For no apparent reason?"

"Oh, yeah, that time. The day before I left."

"Yeah. Well, the reason I did that was that…I uh I'd just realized that that I was um, that I was in love with you."

He lifted her chin. "And that made you want to beat the living daylights out of me?"

"Umm, yeah."

He stifled a laugh. "Okay."

She looked embarrassed.

"Look," he said abruptly. "I had a reason for running off. I wanted to get you something. Something I'd worked for. For you. I've been working these past four weeks to save up enough money for it, and I finally had enough so I got it and came home."

She was curious. "What is it?"

Suddenly, he was nervous. "Uh, I, man, I really didn't think I'd do it like this, um, thought we'd have a bit more privacy. Um- well-"

Quickly, before he lost his nerve, he knelt and produced a small box. He opened it before showing the contents to a stunned Laura and a shocked crowd of mutants. Nestled in velvet was a ring, pure black onyx surrounded by sparkling diamonds in the afternoon sunlight. Laura felt her breath catch. She stared at Kyle, not hardly glancing at the ring after that first glimpse.

Never one for elaborate speeches, Kyle simply asked, "Will you marry me, Laur'?"

Searching his face frantically for any hint of teasing, Laura found nothing but absolute earnestness and sincere love.

Her face broke into an exultant grin and she tackled him, hugging him and rolling so that she was on top.

Laughing, he smirked up at her. "So, is that a yes?"

"Duh!" she actually giggled. He raised himself onto his elbows to kiss her as she straddled him.

Logan clearing his throat and chuckles from the students reminded them that they weren't alone.

Rising from the ground rather sheepishly, they made their way over to the crowd and were swept into an array of congratulations.

When they reached Logan, Kyle almost imperceptibly straightened his shoulders. He looked Logan square in the eye without a trace of fear. (Later, the other boys would try to copy that look, but one really can't get the whole effect unless one has just proposed to the Wolverine's daughter.)

Logan matched him stare for stare until he nodded, ever so slightly. Something passed between the two of them and Kyle relaxed a tiny bit. (Kurt would later describe it as a changing of territory, but unless you were a feral mutant, and male, chances are you wouldn't understand it.)

Abruptly, Logan pointed at Kyle. "What does she call me?"

Kyle looked confused. "Uh, 'Dad'?"

"Right. What do _you_ call me?"

"Logan?"

The older man nodded. "Uh-huh. And it's gonna stay that way. None of that father-in-law junk."

Kyle nodded eagerly. "Yessir."

Laura sidled up to him and wrapped an arm around his waist. He winced. "I think you broke another bone, Laur'." She laughed. "You'll get over it." He grinned and kissed her again.

Logan sighed and glanced away from the couple to his other "daughter."

Rogue was standing beside Remy LeBeau with an amused expression on her face.

Logan scowled.

"Don' tell me _you're_ gonna propose now, too, "he growled at Remy.

Smirking, the red-eyed Cajun lifted Rogue's left hand and pulled off her glove. An emerald and a ruby winked at Logan from her ring finger.

Logan threw up his hands.

"I give up! Is nothing sacred anymore?"

Rogue giggled before slapping a gloved hand over Remy's mouth and kissing him through her fingers.

Logan turned back to find that Kyle and Laura were not to be found.

**

* * *

**

A/N: Ahh, an' dere's de Romy cameo.

**Oy, Logy 'ad a ratha large part in this one didn' 'e?**

**Dat he did, Ashy. Logan comin' t' terms wit' his fille's getting hitched is always interestin'.**

**Koyle and Laura are so good tagetha doncha think?**

**Oui, garcon, dey belong t'gethe'. Indy 'as spoken! An' she will 'ear no more on de subjec'!**

**Okay, yeesh, Oi wasn' disagreein' with ya! Oi'm not **_**stupid**_**!**

**An' quoi 'xac'ly is dat s'posed t' mean?**

**Ummmm, comin' Sheila!**

**I didn't call you, Ash.**

**Shhh, for once, please just play along!**

**Whatever. See you in the archives, people.**


End file.
